This is why we do what we do…

Throughout our lives most of us go about our day as we normally would, perhaps refusing to take a plastic bag for the few items we’re purchasing at our grocery store, or remembering to unplug our cell phone charger to minimize our energy use. For the most part, however, we seem to forget that there are several other everyday tasks that could use some improving upon. So today we decided to share some of the stats we’ve come across in our recent research as well as some tips as to what YOU can do to change things.

So, did you know…

…that letting your faucet run for five minutes uses as much energy as leaving a light on for 14 hours?

…or that the average North American resident spends 8 full months of his or her life opening junk mail, junk mail that is wasting millions of trees each year?

…also, that in the United States alone, the energy used for light consumes up to 34 percent of their electricity annually?

…or that 25 BILLION Styrofoam cups are purchased and thrown away in the US alone, which is enough to circle the earth 436 times?!

Mind-blowing numbers right? Well here’s what you can do to minimize your impact without a lot of hassle:

4. And finally, never purchase Styrofoam, use paper or glass cups as an alternative.

Does it really make a difference? Read these stats and decide for yourself!

– By turning of the water in the morning and evening while brushing your teeth you could save 8 gallons of water per day, 240 gallons per month!

– If one million people (or all the residents of Calgary) were to stop their junk mail over, 1.5 million trees could be saved!

– Not only do CFLs produce the same amount of light and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, they also use 1/3rd of the electricity. If each home in Canada replaced their present bulbs with CLFs, electricity use for lighting could be cut by 50 percent!

– And by using and recycling glass bottles and containers we save 1300 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar – over a ton of resources!

We think it makes a huge difference, and with little or no inconvenience to your daily routine it’s easy to do. So lessen your impact, or as Nike says, “just do it” !

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